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A hummingbird visits a prison cell window
Illustration by Arnoldo Juarez

Soon after moving into a new cell, I noticed hummingbirds hovering outside my window. Sometimes they would just buzz by, but every day they paid a visit, usually in the morning.

My cellmate’s TV antenna outside of the window may have attracted the hungry creatures.

The small birds fly high, up to at least the third tier where I live. One day I decided to surprise them by offering some grape jelly from my peanut butter sandwich. I placed a bit on my finger, wearing a black latex glove, and held it out.

I tried multiple times before one sweet little hummingbird showed up and accepted my sweet little surprise.

Disclaimer: The views in this article are those of the author. Prison Journalism Project has verified the writer’s identity and basic facts such as the names of institutions mentioned.

Arnoldo Juarez is an artist incarcerated in California.